Author's note: Just some stuff this time. Enjoy.
Ruby and Glynda sat in front of a Seer Ruby had summoned, waiting for Weiss to summon hers. Glynda cautiously inspected the summon and tapped its spherical body. Just as she leaned in, the fog inside cleared up and Weiss' face appeared inside it. Glynda jumped back in surprise, and the image zoomed out, revealing Blake and Yang beside her.
"Hello, guys," Ruby said.
"Hello," Glynda said, "I must admit, even knowing the truth, seeing that such a Grimm exists is quite baffling."
"Hello," Weiss, Blake and Yang said simultaneously, then looked at each other in confusion, until Glynda cleared her throat to get their attention.
"In any case, there is something I'd like taken care of first," Glynda said and asked, "Could you three talk some sense into Ruby?"
"Ruby, what does she mean by that?" Yang asked, and Ruby sighed.
"Alright, fine," Ruby said and explained, "I've sensed Grimm disappear for a while now, and it turns out that our old dorm room is at the center of it. So, my theory was that Blake was using Deathzone on steam-dust used in proximity bombs, which Yang then sent into our room with Bubble Teleport. But I'm not sure if that's the case, and I didn't want to give anyone false hope, because then the disappointment would be even bigger."
"Yeah, we did that," Blake said, "We figured it'd help establish a safe area in Beacon, and we knew you could sense Grimm, so you'd figure it out sooner or later and take advantage of it."
"We sent one every day, with the effect lasting a whole week," Yang said, "The next one should wear off in about five minutes though, so you should hurry before all of it turns into normal smoke."
"Can't you send more?" Glynda asked.
"Not really, sorry," Weiss answered, "The military is running low on steam-dust, and they need some of it themselves, too." Hearing that, Ruby got thoughtful.
"What is it?" Yang asked, recognizing her sister's thinking face.
"I need topsoil," Ruby answered, and looked at Glynda.
"Topsoil? What for?" Glynda asked.
"I'll explain later," Ruby answered, "But it will help. Anyway, let's get to handling the resources." She leaned back and motioned Glynda to tell Weiss what the city needed, while using Telepathy to tell Team CRDL about the topsoil problem. Afterwards, she got up and met with Cardin at a transformer.
"Thanks for the blueprints," Ruby said and analyzed the papers with Loremaster.
"You're welcome," Cardin said and took the papers when Ruby was done with them, leaving her to use Repair on the proper transformers.
"I'm fine here, but I need some steam-dust for something," Ruby said, and Cardin left to do his job. One by one, Ruby felt the transformers regain their original shapes, with the wires twisting into position and the plastic being drawn to where it belongs.
~o~
Russel stood on a large apartment building, facing a Giant Nevermore. The Grimm shot its feather quills at him, and he activated his semblance, launching two projectiles back at his enemy. The Grimm got hit in the chest and throat, and Russel turned into his bird form, flying up to the Grimm. He transformed back above it, and jammed his daggers into its neck when he came down. As the Grimm tried to shake him off, he used lightning-dust to electrocute it, paralyzing it and causing it to crash. He turned into a bird in the last moment and got to safety while the Grimm crashed into the asphalt and landed in front of Sky's turrets.
~o~
A group of police officers, accompanied by Professor Port, made their way through the city. They reached a blockade keeping Grimm from leaving the entertainment district, and a pack of Beowolves spotted them. The police officers immediately drew their guns and opened fire, while Peter drew his weapon and took out several Grimm in one shot, with ice-dust ammunition. One of the Grimm jumped over the barricade, but died to a crossbow bolt to the back, which erupted in a large ice spike. The officers and Peter turned around and saw Khione approach, putting her crossbow away.
~o~
Late in the evening, Ruby sat in front of a small table. A bag of topsoil she had torn open laid on the table, with several steam-dust crystals beside the bag. She had her hands folded, and her lower arms surrounded by three circles of symbols each. Understanding the concept of steam-dust required several uses of Loremaster, and each time the information was more overwhelming than the last, but within an hour, she managed to infuse the soil with the dust.
"There, all done," Ruby said to herself, "This was not quite as difficult as I thought." She let her arms hang beside her, and looked at the finished product. The soil looked more wispy than before, though maybe she was just imagining it. Using Repair, she sealed the bag again, then sent it to Atlas with Bubble Teleport, and went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
~o~
While her body recovered, Ruby retreated into her soul core, where she found Emerald and Sapphire by the lake, enjoying each other's company. After exchanging some basic pleasantries, Ruby went on to Sirena's soul core, from where she planned to head on over to Maria's. However, the veteran huntress came up to the soul core herself, and the two entered the imposing castle together, and went to find Sirena.
"Hello, you two," Sirena said when they found her, and asked, "What brings you here today?"
"I have a plan to help Vale," Ruby answered, "You need to get to Atlas, and have Nora teach you what I taught the rest already. Then, I need Mithala to share her semblance with Neon. I already made topsoil with the properties of steam-dust, so once they grow crops in that, and Neon eats those, her tail fur will act like steam-dust, and she can make those crystals at will. Then, with Deathzone, she can make them harm Grimm on contact once the dust is triggered, and Atlas can sell them as proximity bombs to the world. Then they can buy special fire projectiles from the Vale coast guard, thereby funneling more money to Vale."
"So that's what that is," Maria said.
"That is a pretty nice plan, actually," Sirena said, stroking her chin, "And I'm already in Atlas, so that won't be an issue. Plus, Nora and I already fused, and she had our fusion use the technique, so I'm already familiar with it."
"Wait, you are?" Ruby asked, "What about your teaching job?"
"That can wait a bit longer," Sirena answered, "That being said, I do have some ideas that would enhance your plan."
"Sounds great," Ruby said, "Glynda would probably ask what you have planned, but I trust that you know what you're doing. I still need to build up a reputation here in Vale, which is a bit annoying, because having to explain everything slows things down too much."
"It most certainly does, yes," Sirena said with a chuckle, "And yes, Glynda is a bit strict. However, I have found that she only follows rules that she knows get the results she wants, which at this point seems to be her students' safety." The trio kept talking for a little longer, mostly discussing strategies and plans going forward, then everyone returned to their own soul core.
~o~
The next morning, after breakfast, Ruby, Coco and Cardin came together with the teachers for a strategy meeting. Taking in all the information she gathered last night, Ruby deduced the ideal plan to get things rolling in Menagerie, while also helping here in Vale.
"The shopping district is almost free," Coco said, "We just need a bit more time, and then we're good."
"That's good to hear," Glynda said, "Also, Ruby, we almost have power in Beacon back on, to do your plan, and your friends should arrive here in a few days."
"Great," Ruby said, "Be ready to reroute the steam to the library for starters. It's a large area with lots of obstacles, making it harder for Grimm to move freely, which makes it the perfect spot for us to secure early on, in case we need to fall back."
"Well, alright," Glynda said. She was a bit unsure, but couldn't find any obvious flaw in Ruby's reasoning.
"Hey Coco, maybe my team can help you out," Cardin said.
"Actually, I wanted to test something first," Ruby said, "And I kinda need Velvet for that."
"Let me guess, fusion?" Coco asked. Before she could answer, Ruby got a message on her scroll, and when she read it, she seemed some mix of relieved and urged.
"Yep," Ruby answered, "And Cardin, tell Sky to get to safety and set up defenses. I gotta go." Before anyone could react, she used Petal Burst to dash away. Cardin took his scroll and sent a message to Sky.
"I can help your team," Amanita said, "And maybe one or two of CRDL can help, too."
"Definitely," Cardin said, "Russel and I can take care of some things, and keep a corridor open so you can get back out after you're done with your duties."
"Got it," Coco said, "Thanks." The group then continued the discussions for the day, planning where to send the few police officers they had available. After a while, Ruby came back, and told them exactly where Grimm were, making the plans a lot easier.
~o~
Later that day, Ruby and Velvet fused into Wisp, a bunny-eared fusion with long, dark red hair that got lighter near the tips, and silver eyes. She wore light brown boots with red laces, black stockings, a beige shirt with white flute sleeves, a brown waist cincher with golden buttons, and a black combat skirt with red tulle underneath.
"So, Wisp?" Coco asked, looking the fusion up and down, "Looks nice. Anyway, Ruby, Velvet has a little surprise."
"T- thanks, Coco," Wisp said, "And yeah, I know." A few Beowolves came around a corner, and Wisp's ear fluff began glowing light blue, before hard-light throwing daggers manifested above her. At her command, the daggers embedded themselves in the Grimm. Near the point of impact, twenty-sided shapes appeared, hovering in the air for a second before immediately exploding, killing the Grimm.
"Wow, that is new," Coco said, looking over her glasses.
"That's my semblance, Light Bomb," Wisp explained, "When I hit an enemy with hard-light-dust, these things appear, and then explode when an enemy comes close to them."
"That sounds incredibly useful," Coco said, turned to Wisp and asked, "By the way, why did Ruby leave so suddenly earlier, and what did she do?"
"It is, yeah. I plan to share it with Velvet before splitting up again," Wisp answered, "Also, nothing important. Just small stuff."
"Your ears say otherwise," Coco said with a smirk, and Wisp looked up, only to see the tip of her right rabbit ear bent forward and twisted a little.
"Alright, fine," Wisp said, "She copied another semblance, Perfect Gift. Like Weiss' Glyphs, it's hereditary, and the only two people with it, the traveling merchants Klaus and Rudy Nordmann, came here to talk to her after learning that she had instructed Sophie to protect them."
"Hey, I know those guys," Coco said and asked, "The semblance sounds pretty sweet. What's it do?"
"It tells the user what the person they're using it on would like the most," Wisp answered, "Ruby plans to use it for a plan she has, in combination with a few other semblances of hers. It's not exactly top secret, but maybe don't bring it up unnecessarily either."
"Got it," Coco said, "Anyway, let's get back to killing Grimm." The duo went out to kill Grimm, with Wisp periodically sending hard-light wolves after faraway Grimm. Eventually, she shared her semblance with Velvet and split up again.
~o~
Later in the evening, Ruby was sitting some distance to the train station, so as to not put anyone at risk. She had put up some wards, but preferred to be safe, especially because the others didn't understand alchemy as well as she did. She had prepared a small metal bowl, and slowly transmuted some old food cans into a black powder she figured should be possible. After she had made a small amount, she took out the flint and steel she had set aside earlier, and carefully tried striking a spark. She held the items in position, ready to ignite the powder, but she still hesitated a bit.
"Hey Ruby, what're you doing?" Velvet asked, surprising Ruby and causing her to create a spark, igniting the powder. It went up in a single, large flame, burning up almost immediately, and causing Velvet to jump back in surprise.
"Hey Velvet," Ruby said and answered, "I'm trying to make new materials through alchemy."
"Oh, you mean like turning stuff into gold?" Velvet asked.
"Nah, golden transmutation was the beginner stuff," Ruby answered, "I'm experimenting with new things. Right now I'm trying to find a way to save dust, so I'm looking for alternative means of propelling bullets."
"That sounds pretty useful," Velvet said and asked, "Can I help?"
"Thanks, but no," Ruby answered, "This is something only I can do." She made a transparent blue tentacle grow out of her back and grabbed another empty food can, then folded her hands as usual and focused. Velvet stayed out of curiosity, and watched in awe as the can seemingly disintegrated into a black, grainy powder that fell into the bowl.
~o~
In Atlas, both Ilia and Marrow independently had the idea to crystallize the dust in their respective traits to help Vale out a bit, and went to Nora to learn how to, before seeking out Yang to have her send the crystals where they need to go. Marrow was first to find both women, and Ilia waited until his tail fur ran out. Meanwhile, Yang just hoped that Ruby would find the crystals, because while they were misshapen, they still worked normally.
~o~
During breakfast, Glynda looked over the previous days' reports. They were mostly about Grimm packs that moved to new areas, damages to temporary blockages, or packs that had been eliminated. However, one thing caught her attention more than anything, and she turned to Ruby.
"Ruby, look at this," Glynda said and showed Ruby her tablet, "There is a club in the industrial area, and Sky spotted weirdly-shaped ice-dust crystals appear in bubbles in there. I like to try and get them, but there are Grimm all over."
"Sure thing," Ruby said between bites, "I'll get that dust and take out those Grimm before they have time to regret existing." Everyone paused for a moment and Glynda pushed up her glasses, before she continued.
"Good to hear," Glynda said, "There is also another issue, namely a water collection plant outside the city limits. So far, it wasn't necessary, but we are running out of drinking water, and reclaiming it, and getting it working again, would greatly increase our chances of survival, and make things easier in general."
"Got it," Ruby said, and thought for a moment, "I can make stuff attract creatures. So, if I make something attract Grimm, Cardin and his team can get to a transformer and set up turrets with Tower Defense, augmented with ice-dust. That way, Grimm will come, and then I can use the ice to recharge my aura when repairing the plant."
"Alright," Glynda said, "Cardin, there is a Grimm pack in the Mistral food district, go and get ready." After breakfast, everyone got ready for the day. Ruby made a few empty food cans attract Grimm over a long distance for a few hours, then left the train station. Once outside, she jumped up and used Flight, flying above the buildings and heading to the club.
~o~
Landing near Junior's club, Ruby drew her scythe and took a deep breath to calm the swirling vortex of light inside her. As soon as she did, the nearby Grimm attacked her. She smiled and rushed in, cutting them down like she used to, before learning all those other abilities. She cut off their arms, legs, sliced through torsos, or cut them down in the middle, only stopping when she stood in front of the club, with only a few more Grimm to go. She swung her scythe and sent an aura arc through the remaining Grimm, accidentally breaking down the door to the club as well and revealing a massive collection of ice-dust crystals in bubbles.
"Ruby, there you are," Velvet said as she came jumping around a corner, and stopped next to Ruby, "I've been meaning to come with you, but you were gone so soon."
"Hello Velvet," Ruby said, "Sorry, I guess I got carried away. I always try to tackle problems as they arise, so that they don't overwhelm me later on."
"It's fine, really," Velvet said, "After all, I knew where you were, and tackling problems early on is always a good idea."
"Alright," Ruby said, "Now, you keep an eye on Grimm, while I send those crystals to Cardin and the boys." Ruby spun her scythe around and opened a red portal, then put her scythe away and began popping bubbles and chucking the crystals through her portal. Every once in a while, she kept a crystal for herself, and used it to augment Wolfpack, to target some distant Grimm in remote areas of the city that had yet to be liberated.
~o~
After landing near a transformer, and turning back into their human forms, Team CRDL immediately went and set up turrets, augmented with the little ice-dust they had left, then placed the empty cans where the Grimm could see them, to lure them towards the turrets. A Beowolf came around a corner and was immediately hit by a turret, and killed by Sky. The resulting ice immediately began recharging Sky's aura, and more Grimm showed up.
"Get ready, boys," Cardin said and used the ice-dust crystal in his mace to send an icy aura wave into the charging Grimm, freezing them in place and letting the turrets kill them with even more ice blasts. When the gang slowly ran out of dust, a red portal opened and a dozen new crystals popped out, before the portal closed again. Each of them grabbed three crystals, and they went back to work, creating more turrets near different transformers in the area.
Author's note: Soon, Ruby and her friends will be reunited.