AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whew! Sorry this took so long. My laptop had some issues, which is worse when you're on vacation. I got it worked out, but then it was just finding the time. This chapter has been written in two different states and over six days!
So this is a very talky chapter, just building up for the big confrontation with Cheshire next chapter. Ruby has some things to work out...
Kosice Airbase
Kosice, Kosice Self-Governing Region
15 September 2001
"Here. That's where we tracked them, ma'am." The duty officer pointed to a spot on the radar scope. He still wore the patch of the Jabberwocky pirate gang, but he was cooperating fully with NATO personnel. There was now a battalion of 82nd Airborne paratroopers occupying the city, and the Jabberwockies had been disarmed. There had been no incidents.
Pyrrha leaned over his shoulder. "Satu Mare. That's in Romania."
Blake shrugged, leaning against the radar console. "The Romanians don't control anything north of Transylvania, even if they claim to."
She straightened up. "So who does control it?"
"No one, ma'am," the duty officer replied. "Satu Mare hires itself out to anyone who wants to stop there to refuel. We use it, the Impalers use it—"
"The who?"
"Impalers," he said. "A mercenary unit that controls Transylvania. They're not pirates—they're like the Happy Huntresses were in Poland." A shrug. "Different from us."
"They must be," Pyrrha growled. "It sounds like they actually have morals."
"We have to feed our children too, ma'am."
Pyrrha bit back her retort on that; now was not the time for an argument. "All right. Thank you." He nodded as the two pilots left the control room and the tower, into the beautiful morning air. "That confirms what the AWACS told us. Just Cheshire and Neo." Pyrrha sighed, looking over the busy flight line. Besides the six C-17s that had brought the paratroopers, her own F-22 sat in one of the revetments the Jabberwockies used to disperse their aircraft. The other aircraft they had brought from Silac were in others, along with Marrow's new F-16. More fighters were due to arrive anytime: Kosice was all too close to Salem's forces to leave six fat transports in the open. "How did he get her to go with him? A better question: how did he get Neo to leave without confirming that Ruby was dead?"
"From what the Delta guys told Yang, Ruby was unresponsive when they found her. Neo might've thought she was dead," Blake mused. "Still...I'm surprised that Neo didn't cut Ruby's throat. I mean, I'm glad she didn't, but Neo isn't the type to leave enemies alive behind her."
"I suppose we can ask her later." Pyrrha stopped. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Not much." Blake looked at Pyrrha, and the deep bags under her friend's eyes, which were bright with exhaustion. "You need to get some as well."
"I will. We're going after Neo and Cheshire first thing tomorrow. We're too exhausted right now, and I don't want to leave this place undefended. A shame Sun and Coffee Flights have already returned to Israel...we could use them right now."
"That's smart," Blake agreed. "Tired people make bad decisions. Ironwood proved that." She paused. "We all did," the Faunus said in a quieter voice.
"Blake..." Pyrrha took a deep breath. "Listen, I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but I'm temporarily taking command. Ruby is in no condition to command this flight, physically...or mentally."
"I agree," Blake told her. "And I'm sorry about what she said yesterday. Ruby had no right to say those things."
Pyrrha began walking again down the flightline. "No...but that's what happens when you let things fester and don't talk to people. I'm not angry at Ruby. I know exactly how she feels. I let things fester at Beacon, and it cost me Jaune." She watched as several HMMWVs were driven off the C-17s. "And I am trying too hard to defend the helpless, I suppose. It's all I have left nowadays."
"Not true," Blake corrected her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "You have us, Pyrrha. We're not Jaune or...Clover..." She watched Pyrrha's face, but there was no reaction to the name of the man once ordered to start a relationship with the Greek woman. Blake sensed that there had been more between Pyrrha and Clover's mutual reaction than desperation and the orders of the CIA. That was for another time. "And you have Ren and Nora too."
"I know. And thank you." She reached up and patted Blake's hand. "Cheshire's words about being a woman without a country bit deep. But if I'm fighting for my friends, that's enough."
"Hell, Pyrrha...that's all any of us are fighting for. I'm not fighting for God, home and apple pie." Blake laughed softly. "Though in my case, it would be Faunus, lodge and haggis."
"And Yang?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow.
Blake blew out a breath. "I wish I knew. Yang said she loved me, Pyrrha—in every way, including physically. The problem is, I don't love her. Not like that." She hung her head. "At least, I don't think so. When your last partner that wasn't a one-night stand was a psychotic terrorist, it tends to get everything mixed up. I love Yang, but I think it's more like a best friend...I just don't know, Pyrrha."
"Did you two make love?" Pyrrha put her hands up. "It's—it's none of my business, actually!"
Blake laughed; for a moment, the shy Pyrrha of Beacon was back. "Heh, no. We kissed, and we were naked at the time, but that was all. We were naked because we both tend to sleep that way."
"I find myself sleeping that way now as well. How scandalous," Pyrrha smiled. "The Invincible Girl of Greece, Heroine to Children, sleeps nude! Oh my; how lewd." She laughed as well. "Of course, the funny thing is that it's just because I haven't been in one place long enough to hold on to a decent pair of pajamas."
"I just don't know about me and Yang," Blake said, steering the conversation back. "I want to resolve it, but I don't know how. Neither does Yang. And I hate to let it just sit there...given what we do for a living. We're not in a position of 'we'll figure it out' when one or both of us could be dead by tomorrow."
"But you don't want to rush things either, and Yang is very distracted right now. And if you force sex, it could end up destroying your friendship. Yang will feel like you're just pitying her and you'll resent the fact that you're doing something you don't feel comfortable with." Pyrrha put an arm around Blake. "In this case, Blake, it would be a mistake to rush things out of a conviction that you're going to be killed. I'm glad that, despite what little time Jaune and I did have, we at least arrived there mutually. We knew that we both wanted what did happen."
"That's good advice," Blake pointed out.
"Yes, well...unmarried marriage counselor." Pyrrha took her arm away from Blake and resumed walking. "To change the subject...I wanted to ask you this." She stared east, towards where the Carpathian Mountains made an arc on the horizon. "We...we could let Neo and Cheshire go. These Impalers don't sound the type to give them shelter. Salem would probably rather murder Neo than trust her, to say nothing of Cheshire. Wherever they run, they won't find safe haven easily. I say this only because Ruby Flight seems to be going further and further away from home. You've done your bit for home and country, Blake. No one would say otherwise if we just loaded up in one of the C-17s and headed back to Ramstein in the morning."
Blake felt her temper rise at Pyrrha's words, but forced her anger back down. There was nothing wrong with looking at possibilities, even if Ruby Flight had already made their decision. Neither her, Weiss or Yang had said any words, but one look at Ruby's broken body made words unnecessary. "No," Blake said firmly. "I let Adam go, Pyrrha, and he tried to kill us over Sardinia. I hate to compare myself to Neo, but I'd prefer not leaving enemies alive behind me either. And after what Neo did to Ruby and Little, we need to hunt her down and kill her. Neo is a rabid dog, and we're going to put her down. Some people just need killing." Blake heard the echo of Adam Taurus' ghostly laughter, because that had been a saying of his. We're not just getting further and further away from home physically, Pyrrha.
"I understand completely, considering that is my goal when it comes to Cinder Fall." A single, final nod. "Very well then, Blake. We rest tonight, and tomorrow we kill Neo."
The first sensation Little had was a screaming headache. After that it was her nose feeling stuffed up, like her allergies were going crazy, though there was cool air flowing into her nose. The next was the bandage tightly wrapped around her forehead. She reached up to grab it, but hands held her arms down. The memories then flooded back, and Little tried to fight against the hands, but she was too weak. She felt pain in her arms, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her skull. Unable to get up and unable to figure out why, exactly, it felt like there were tiny miners with jackhammers loose in her brain, Little opened her eyes. They felt sticky, but she was able to get them open.
Everything was hazy and disjointed at first, but gradually her vision cleared enough to see Weiss Schnee and someone else she didn't know holding her arms. There were two of everything, but she managed to focus it down to just superimposed images rather than full double vision. She tried to speak, but her throat was too dry. The nurse—Little finally recognized the uniform—picked up a water bottle and helped her drink. Once she was finished, the nurse left. "Wh—where am I?" she stammered in Polish.
Weiss let go of her arm and gently took her hand. "You're in a hospital," she replied in English. "Do you understand, Boguslawa?"
Little narrowed her eyes. "Maly...I mean, Little. Don't call me that name."
"All right. Do you know who I am?"
Little nodded. "Of course. You're Weiss. Weiss Schnee." She suddenly remembered something. "Ruby! Where's—"
Weiss patted her hand. "Ruby's all right, Little. I think you're going to be too." She smoothed some of the girl's hair back. "What's the last thing you remember?" The nurse returned with the doctor, and Weiss had to wait for her answer. He shined a flashlight in Little's eyes, which did her headache no good, and asked her to move her fingers and toes. Little noticed she had an IV in her, and other tubes and wires. "How are you feeling?" the doctor finally asked.
"My head hurts," Little replied. "A lot."
The doctor actually laughed. "It should." He spoke briefly to the nurse in Czech, and the woman left. "We'll give you some painkillers for that. It will make you sleepy, but sleep may be what you need." He nodded to Weiss. "Your friends here have arranged for you to be transferred to the NATO military hospital at Wiesbaden, in Germany. You don't appear to have brain damage, but sometimes these things take time to appear, and I don't have the equipment for looking for any tiny fragments."
"Of what?" Little asked.
"Of the bullet." The doctor held up X-rays of Little's head. Her vision still wasn't good enough to really tell what they meant. "Miss, ah, Little...you were shot in the head. Through the head, actually."
Little blinked. "I...huh?" Weiss repeated her question. "Last thing I remember...um...Cheshire helped me escape, I went into Ruby's cell even though he told me not to...Ruby was pretty messed up on kerasine, I'm pretty sure. I don't think she even knew I was there. She's okay, yes? She's okay?"
"She's fine," Weiss lied. "Please, Little, continue."
"And then...Neo said something like 'for fuck's sake,' and I heard a bang, and...then I woke up here a few minutes ago."
"That was yesterday," Weiss told her.
"So she shot me?" Little slowly reached up and touched the bandage around her head. "In the head?" Both Weiss and the doctor nodded. "And I'm still alive?"
"Looks that way." The doctor referred back to the x-rays. "And you, Boguslawa Wojownik, are the luckiest girl on the entire planet." He traced from her right temple, across behind the eye sockets, to the left temple. "The bullet entered here, went behind your eyes, and exited here. It missed your brain by two millimeters and your optic nerves by three millimeters. Somehow the bullet threaded the needle between causing brain damage and blinding you, and made a clean exit." He put down the x-rays. "I have never seen that kind of wound before. I have never heard of that kind of wound before. So my advice, Miss Little, is that you enjoy the miracle God has given you, and live a long, healthy, and fruitful life." The doctor shook hands with Little. "There is still the possibility that small fragments came off the bullet inside your skull, and if I go in there to probe for them, I could do irrepairable damage. So I will wait and let far more experienced hands and computers do that in Wiesbaden." He stepped back as the nurse returned with the painkillers, and helped Little take them. He gently patted her shoulder, and left.
Little looked up at Weiss. "I tried to save her," she whispered.
"You may have," Weiss replied. "Rest, all right? You'll fly to Germany tonight. We'll be there directly."
"What about you, and Ruby?"
"We still have a mission to finish," Weiss told her, with steel in her voice.
"I wish I could come with you..." The painkillers were starting to take effect, and Little's eyelids started to droop.
"You've already done your duty." Weiss smiled, reached into a pocket, and pinned wings on Little's hospital smock. They were hastily borrowed from one of the transport pilots, but they were wings all the same. "Welcome to Ruby Flight, Little." She bent forward and kissed Little on the top of her head.
Little reached up and touched the silver wings. "Wow...so cool..." She was smiling when her eyes fluttered closed.
Yang sat next to Ruby's bed, her hands clasped in front of her. She had prayed, which was not something Yang did often; she liked to say that she only believed in God when she was in trouble. Ruby was in trouble now. The doctor had hoped Ruby would wake up after the antidote was administered, but that had been six hours ago. "Please," Yang whispered, "please, Ruby. Please wake up."
Two of the nurses walked into the little room, carrying a bucket. "Please," one of them said. "Ah...sister? You sister?"
Yang got up. "Yeah, I...I mean, I'm the sister."
The nurse who spoke pointed to the bucket. "We need...bath." She pointed to Ruby. "Bath?"
"Oh! Sure. Yeah. I mean, she probably needs one." Yang started to leave.
"You...want help?" The nurse hesitated, trying to find the right English words. "Help us?"
"Help you bathe Ruby?" Yang nodded. "Sure, yeah, I can do that." The nurse smiled and nodded, and added a spate of Czech Yang couldn't understand, then dismissed the other nurse. Bathing her unconscious sister was the last thing Yang wanted to do, but it was something she could do besides worry and pray.
Gently they took off Ruby's paper smock, trying to avoid jostling the tubes stuck into her. They had already cleaned her face of the dried blood, but there had been no time to fully bathe her the night before, when they were first trying to save Ruby and then Little. Yang stopped as she raised the sponge. "She..." Then her throat closed and Yang burst into tears. "She's..."
"She?" The nurse was confused. "She is all right." She pointed to the monitors; Ruby's heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen were all fine.
"Just...so small..." Yang nearly dropped to her knees. "I wasn't there...I wasn't there." She struggled back to her feet and forced herself to look at Ruby's bruised and battered body. Then Yang angrily wiped her tears away, set her face, and began sponging her sister's body, starting with the feet. The nurse started doing the same with her arms. They met at the middle, and it was when Yang was wiping off Ruby's stomach that it suddenly shuddered and Ruby started giggling. "Yang...Yang, stop, that tickles..." Her eyes opened and she looked down. "Oh. Hi."
"Ruby!" Yang dropped the sponge and went to give her sister a fierce hug, only to stop herself just in time. She settled for a more sedate one, afraid of hurting her. "Oh God, Ruby! Are you okay? No, of course you're not okay—you're in the hospital—and you got all drugged up, and you look like hell and do you know me?" Yang grabbed Ruby by the cheeks, scrunching them up and making her sister look like a bedraggled squirrel. "You know me, right? You recognize me?"
"Off cofrufe Iff recofnifre fou," Ruby struggled out, and Yang let go over her. "You're Yang."
Yang kissed her forehead. "Oh thank God, you remember me." She looked at Ruby with concern. "What do you remember?"
"Um...Yang?"
"Yeah?"
"Um...kind of naked here."
"Oh, right." Yang straightened up and looked at the nurse. "She done?" She pantomined bathing.
"Back," the nurse answered.
"Wait, what the...oh, you've got to be kidding me." Ruby tried to struggle, but between Yang's strength and her own weakness, she could do nothing but be held down as the nurse sponged her back and rear end. She sucked in her breath as the sponge went over the purpled bruises where Neo had beaten her, but the nurse apologized and tried to be as gentle as possible. Ruby turned bright red with embarrassment. "Yang," she murmured, "I've been buck ass naked more times on this trip than I've had my clothes on."
Yang snickered, sniffing back her tears. "Y'know, Blake and me...we were talking about a nude beach somewhere if we get through this."
"Nope." Ruby shook her head. "I'm going to wear a parka and three layers of clothes. Even if we go to Miam—" Her eyes widened. "Oh crap, Little! Where's Little?"
"Easy." Yang continued to hold Ruby as the nurse dried her off. "Little's going to be okay, believe it or not. Somehow that bullet managed to miss everything. The doc told us this morning. Kid should buy a lottery ticket when she gets back to Florida."
"Wow." Ruby groaned as she was eased onto her back again and covered up. "What happened to me? Besides getting fucked up on kerasine."
Yang thanked the nurse as the other woman left the room. "How much do you remember?"
Ruby gingerly felt her forehead. "It's all jumbled up. I remember Roman...Ozpin beating me up...Oscar...and Dad, then Mom...I had a long talk with Mom. But I think I remember Neo being there somehow, and Cheshire, and then when Little was shot. None of it makes any sense." Ruby paused. "Except for what Mom said. That made a lot of sense." She lay back against her pillow. "I think...there was..." Her face suddenly contorted, and she grabbed Yang's metal hand. "Yang?"
"Right here, sis." Yang scooted the chair over and sat down. "I'm right here."
"I..." Ruby sniffled. "Yang, I killed myself."
"You look pretty good to me."
"No...I drank this tea, and then I died...and..." Ruby covered her eyes with her hands. "I don't know, Yang! I don't know! It's all fucked up! It must've been Neo, and maybe...she...there was a gun on the table in the cell...but I didn't actually kill myself...I didn't...did I?" She reached over and touched her sister's face. "I'm still alive, right? I'm okay?"
Yang held Ruby to her shoulder. "You're alive, Ruby. Really. You're alive." She rocked her sister gently back and forth as Ruby cried. Yang wondered if she would ever really be okay again.
Ruby felt good enough to eat something, which the doctor found to be a good sign. Nor did she have any further craving for kerasine: one of the nurses brought in a needle filled with clear liquid—it was tap water—and made like she was going to inject it. Ruby screamed and shoved her away. After explanations and apologies, they could at least assume that Ruby was not addicted, since she had been terrified of the syringe rather than lusting after it. She was still very weak, exhausted, and in pain from the beating Neo had given her. Luckily, her ribs were only bruised, not broken.
The real damage was mental. Yang watched Ruby eat, and though the food was nothing more than chicken soup, Ruby spooned up some, then watched it slowly pour off the spoon, the hot steam curling off of it. Then she slowly ate the chicken bits inside, chewing them thoroughly before swallowing them. "That's the best chicken I've ever tasted," she proclaimed. "Home-made is the best." Yang didn't want to tell her it was out of a can. Before the food had arrived, once Ruby had cried herself out, she had been fascinated with Yang's metal arm and how it moved, the little servomotor sounds it made, then stared at her own hands as if she had never seen them before, moving her fingers in different ways.
Yang got up to use the bathroom, afraid even to leave Ruby for a moment, hating herself for not protecting her sister. She ran into Pyrrha on the way out of the ladies' room. "Hey, Pyr. How're you feeling?"
"Tired. And I don't want to do what I have to do." Pyrrha nodded towards the door to Ruby's room.
Yang unconsciously put herself between Pyrrha and the door. "Like what?"
Pyrrha sighed. "I'm taking command, Yang. Ruby is in no condition to do so—"
"You going to chew her ass?"
"Someone should."
"And now suddenly that's you?" Yang snapped.
"Yang...this isn't something I want to do." Pyrrha looked down. "I...I'm not going to chew her out. That can wait. But it is something that needs to be done, Yang. She violated everything we were taught at Beacon. I probably don't have the right, given my own issues, but...better to hear it from me, rather than from some uncaring general or worthless politician trying to puff themselves up."
"Yeah." Yang hesitated. "Pyrrha, I really hate to ask you this, because it's bringing up shit in your ruck that I've got in mine, but...Ruby's acting pretty weird." She waved her hands defensively at the expression of horror on Pyrrha's face. "No, she's okay on the kerasine. That's cleared her system. But she's just acting...weird." Yang described Ruby's actions.
Pyrrha nodded. "I understand. I felt the same way after I nearly killed myself after Beacon. When Ren and Nora had that picnic for me, the chicken I ate seemed the most exquisite thing I'd ever tasted. Everything seemed brighter, the colors more vibrant...everything was just...more beautiful. Like I finally figured out how beautiful life was." She smiled. "I've heard other suicide survivors have had similar experiences. Everyone is different, of course, but that happened to me."
"She told me that she k-killed...killed herself..." Yang's voice broke. "She was convinced that she was dead. The Delta guys found her and said she barely reacted to stimuli. I think if we hadn't found her...Ruby just would've laid there and...until she starved, maybe, or her brain just shut off, or..." Yang wiped her eyes. "I'm a terrible sister, Pyrrha. I should've been there."
"I don't have any siblings, Yang, but my God, you can't drape yourself over Ruby 24-7," Pyrrha told her. "You have to have your own life. And Ruby has to be responsible for hers." She took a deep breath. "And that's why I have to do this."
Yang followed Pyrrha into the room. Ruby had finished the soup and was lying propped up in bed, staring at the ceiling. She saw them and smiled. "Hi, Pyrrha."
"Hello."
The sadness must have shown in her face. "What is it?" Ruby asked.
"I'm..." Pyrrha looked at her boots. "I'm sorry, Ruby."
"For what?" Ruby sat up, concerned.
Pyrrha's head came up and she forced herself to meet Ruby's eyes. "I'm relieving you of command, Ruby. Not just because you're physically incapable of commanding right now, but mentally as well." She paused. "And that has nothing to do with recovering from kerasine."
Ruby said nothing for a few moments, then exhaled slowly. "You're right. I screwed up. I've done nothing but screw up—"
"Not true," Pyrrha interrupted. "In Poland, you did what you thought was right. Perhaps you went about it the wrong way—we all did—but we were given an unlawful order. Yes, we all should have been more forthright with Ironwood, but he never should've given such a ridiculous order. I don't know if the court-martial board or board of inquiry will see it the same way, but I believe we did the right thing...or the wrong thing for the right reasons.
"Before that, Ruby, you've commanded Ruby Flight, and really all of us exceptionally well—especially given how young you are. I've been proud to work with you, and yes, even follow you...but since Leszno, since that last big battle, you've been acting erratically." Pyrrha sat down heavily on the bed. "I suppose I've been no better. You were right, to a certain extent—I did want to defend Silac and destroy the Jabberwockies because I want to salvage something out of this whole, sordid mess. I wanted to win for once, Ruby." She reached over and took her friend's hand, squeezing it. "I shouldn't have overrode you yesterday. That was wrong on my part. This is your flight, and I was making decisions without your input."
"You outrank me," Ruby pointed out.
"Yes, but a poor leader doesn't listen to their subordinates. Nor do they usurp command when it is clearly not necessary to do so, or for their own selfish reasons." Pyrrha smiled at Yang. "I was paying attention in Port's classes, you see."
Ruby shook her head. "Pyrrha, I appreciate the sentiment, but it's also a poor leader who snaps at people for no reason." She leaned back into the pillow. "I shouldn't have blown up like that. Not at you. Not at anyone." She raised her hands and stared at them. "I don't know if drug hallucinations are good advice, but...I spoke to my mom. Not really my mom, of course, but I think my brain was showing me a version of her." Ruby rubbed her forehead. "It's all still really jumbled up in here, but Mom said I was trying too hard to be her. I was competing with a ghost...I mean, I don't even really remember my mom, but I invented a version of her that I was trying to be."
Ruby withdrew her hand from Pyrrha's. "If you're here to relieve me because of the fucking idiot thing I did yesterday, when I almost got me and Little killed because I was obsessed with getting Neo...I accept that. I deserve it. I did something so fucking stupid that part of me wishes that poison tea I drank was real. I deserve to be relieved, court-martialed, and sent to go fly bush planes in northern Canada or Honduras or something. I screwed everything up, Pyrrha." Ruby sniffed. "Dammit, I told myself I wouldn't cry. It's such a stupid little girl thing to do. I'm a fucking grown woman, and fighter pilot, and officer, and I'm acting like a...a little bitch." She hung her head. "I'm such a fuckup."
"That's enough," Yang growled. "Jesus, Ruby. We all fuck up." She held up her metal hand. "I fucked up and I would've died if it hadn't been for Blake landing her F-14 on a motherfucking country road and tying off my stump."
"And I went off by myself to get Cinder...twice. And don't forget that I attempted to kill myself as well. I didn't have drugs in my system or someone torturing me. I just didn't want to live after watching Jaune die. Quite selfish of me, again." Pyrrha reminded her. She shook her head. "Ruby, we're only human. Or Faunus, whatever. We all make mistakes, sometimes grevious ones. What we have to do is accept that we make those mistakes, try to correct them, and accept the consequences. And while I understand why you snapped at Blake for saying it, we do have to keep moving forward. It's the only way we have any chance in the world of beating Salem. We owe it to Jaune, and Penny, and Ruth, and...and even Clover and Ironwood and Vine and all the others. If we do nothing, then Salem wins, and their deaths mean nothing."
"Sounds like you've been wanting to say that for awhile, Pyr," Yang observed.
"I've been accused of being a good speaker," Yang countered. "Someone insisted that I go in front of the entire world last week." She blinked. "My God, was that last week? It feels like it's been three years."
The room was quiet for awhile. "What do I do?" Ruby asked in a small voice.
Pyrrha got up. "As Ren told me after I tried to kill myself...learn from this, as a grown woman does. Get better and stronger. And when you're ready...Ruby Flight is yours. I think I speak for Yang, Weiss and Blake in this. We will go home and then figure out a way we can all live with this."
"Thank you, Pyrrha," Ruby said. "Thank you."
"You were there when I was crazy," Pyrrha answered. "Let me be there for you."
Satu Mare
Satu Mare County, Kingdom of Romania
15 September 2001
Cheshire stared down at Neo, who was blissfully asleep in the bed. To her, she had just made wonderful love with Roman Torchwick, her mind accepting that somehow her beloved was alive again—thanks to the kerasine. She had actually been with Cheshire. After she had fallen asleep, sated and happy, he had quietly injected her with more. He needed Neo, but if she overdosed, Cheshire knew he'd survive. He always had.
Maybe, he thought. The Kosice tower had managed to get off one radio message before going silent, so he knew the Jabberwockies had either surrendered or they were all dead at the hands of American and/or NATO forces. If Ruby's friends had found her, alive or dead, they would want vengeance. They would be coming for Neo—and by extension, him. There was no way that Pyrrha Nikos in particular would ever believe that he had nothing to do with Ruby's torture. If he returned to Banska Bystrica, Alyx would forgive him—she always had—but no one else would. Cheshire was under no illusions that he and a drug-addled Neo could fend off an enraged Ruby Flight and whoever they brought with them.
"I need reinforcements," he said aloud. Neo stirred and rolled over, but she didn't wake up. He looked at her. Insane Neo Politan might be, but she was beautiful, clothed or nude. Too bad, Cheshire thought to himself. He was also under no illusions what she would do to him when he found out he had been masquerading as her dead lover. Sorry, Susie, he thought. The things I do to stay alive. Curious if you'll ever forgive me, love.
He had one card left to play. It was dangerous, possibly even foolhardy, and it truly meant cutting cards with the devil. Naked, he padded over to where his clothes lay in a heap, deposited there as Neo had practically attacked him, after they had landed and paid to stay at Satu Mare. He found his boot, grunted as he removed the heel, and pulled out a wadded up piece of paper. Cheshire smoothed it out, found his cell phone, prayed he had some coverage at Satu Mare, and dialed a number.
It took two more numbers and over half an hour of connections and cutouts before he got who he wanted. "Cheshire, what an unexpected surprise," Salem said, her voice sarcastic. "Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Afraid what happened to the Red Prince will happen to you, you piece of self-serving filth?"
"You're probably right about that," Cheshire chuckled ruefully. "But I didn't call you to talk about my finer points. I have something you want, but I need your help to save my arse."
"And what would that be? This should be hilarious."
"I need a squadron of GRIMM. Or more."
Salem laughed. "Certainly! I rent my GRIMM out to just anyone, you know. I offer weekly and monthly rates."
"I'm in Satu Mare, Romania," Cheshire said, ignoring the jibe. "With Neo Politan."
"I could not care less about Neo."
"That's fine; this isn't about her. This is about me...and Ruby Flight."
There was silence for a few moments. "You suddenly became interesting," Salem said.
"They're going to come after me. Probably tomorrow. If you want a shot at them, send some GRIMM over. Send one of your minions, if you want—the more the merrier."
"I'm short on minions at the moment, Cheshire," she admitted. "However, GRIMM I can spare."
"Thanks." Cheshire smiled. "A pleasure doing business with you."
"Oh, the pleasure is all mine," Salem said. "Make sure that it is a pleasure, Cheshire."
AUTHOR'S SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES: Little's survival may seem contrived plot armor, but it's not. (Well, not completely.) What happened to Little actually happened to a classmate of my grandfather's on Iwo Jima. A Japanese sniper shot him in the head, and he woke up the next day with two stitched up holes in his head and a bad headache...and that was all. The doctor there said that it was a miracle too, which it was. Those of you who watched Band of Brothers might remember a similar situation with one of their lieutenants, who got shot in the throat...but because he turned his head at the last second, the bullet missed everything vital. War is weird.
It may seem like Ruby spent the last two chapters naked, which may not be surprising for a guy who writes a lot of RWBY smut. However, this wasn't meant to be titillating-last chapter, it was Neo humiliating Ruby; this time, it's to show her vulnerability. Ruby is broken in this chapter. I hope I was able to convey that, and that there will be consequences for her actions. She knows and acknowledges that.
Next chapter will hopefully be in a week!