"Huh?"
Had Yang been able to see her own face, she'd probably feel a little taken back by how little it fit her. Ruby, however, swallowed hard at such an expression; completely and wholly not used to her sister bearing so much stale disbelief.
"You mind running that back for me?" Right as the aforementioned young woman made to move her lips, the elder sister raised a hand, looking away and huffing. "No, actually, forget what I said." Slowly, her eyes returned to shooting Ruby down. "That has to be a joke, right: you're pulling my leg."
"I'm telling the truth! He looked like he needed help!"
Yang's response to Ruby's outcry was to sigh.
"Amazing... You really believe that, don't you?"
"I think you're being a bit harsh on her-'' The hand, now suddenly inches away from her face, shut Blake up real quick. Yang, meanwhile, looked to just barely be restraining the craziest amount of disappointment ever conceived. Casually, the blonde looked up, facing her sister not with an expression of irritation, but of motionless calm.
"Listen to me: I'm not telling you this to hurt your feelings, but that was the worst decision I've ever heard you make; even holding the cookie jar for ransom was less idiotic than that."
"I-I..." Ruby appeared stunned, and her eyes looked to glass over a little. "I was just trying to help; he seemed like he was in trouble." The little girl was next partially stunned when her sister sat up straight, apparently unfazed by the words.
"Why did it have to be you who helped him then, huh?"
"W-what?" Ruby didn't know how to respond to that, and seeing this, Yang spoke once again, through a breath lacking warmth.
"Anybody could have lent him a hand, anyone at all. Drivers on the road would have probably pulled over to check on him; it didn't need to be you." Disturbingly, the way Yang twisted as she slowly set both hands on the table seemed to suck up the very air itself, leaving the place nearly smothered as she continued on. "Better yet: why did he show up completely out of nowhere, on a street with nobody around? Just you and him: a little girl, and a man dressed as her. Did any of that ever cross your mind?"
"I was just-"
"Zip it." Weiss stood fast, so fast that she nearly tipped her chair. Blake recognised instantly how furious the heiress was, although this time it was different. Usually, when the girl was upset, she always upheld a sort of chivalrous composure, as if she were retaining her status as a high-born snob. Here however, there was something barbarically raw by how her words jetted past her lips.
Blake found herself locked in place as Weiss laid it down.
"Who do you think you are to go shooting her off with that prissy attitude of yours?" Blake would have found it ironic how the rich-girl said that, had she herself not been so entangled in curiosity at the display. "Your sister was just out there trying to help someone, and you go off insulting her intellect for doing the right thing? Are you telling us you'd leave a troubled man alone if he were putting himself in danger?"
"I am an adult; Ruby is a child." Blake could have sworn something crawled up her spine whilst hearing that, and the heavy stare of her usually rowdy and playful partner immediately put her on edge. "Unlike my sister, I'm not only capable of defending myself, but I wouldn't even think twice about breaking the creep's feeble little bones if he so much as looked at me wrong."
"Are you even listening to yourself?!" Weiss tossed out a very valid question, because even Blake was growing more and more worried.
"I do, but you four clearly aren't." It was slow and deliberate, casual to an extent, and it frightened Blake even further. Yang merely sat back down, but as for the way she did it so fluidly after what she'd just rambled about... For an instant the golden lochs flashed red in Blake's mind.
It was here the young reader felt she needed to step in and cool things off before somebody ended up saying something they'd regret… but she never got the chance.
"Huntresses help people..."
All eyes glanced at Ruby, who's cheeks glistened with the sparkles of fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.
"They're heroes who save those in need, no matter how dangerous or scary, right?"
As she raised her head, Blake knew for certain the face they all saw hit deep with each of them.
"Huntresses and huntsmen: they help the people who can't help themselves... They protect those facing any sort of danger... Huntresses are ready to challenge any obstacles who block their paths... right?!"
Ruby locked eyes with her older sister as she spit that out, slightly holding her ground but just barely. Yang was still unwavering... no, that wasn't quite right. Upon looking closer, Blake could see how Yang's whole body stiffened. While her face may have kept up appearances, her unnatural jitters and jerks played to a different tune. It was a battle of will; last one standing wins...
Unfortunately, Ruby's heart seemed to be hurting too much, as upon receiving no answer she turned away and zipped off, leaving nothing behind but one last whimper.
Weiss was, to put it lightly, enraged: which was more than made apparent as she turned away. And yet, like Yang herself, she held back the brunt of it all.
"You know what? Fine; have your petty way. When you've finally grown up maybe you'll learn what it means to look after your sibling." Weiss started off after Ruby with a standard, but still angry, pace. Once more the body jerked, this time around her hands, and Blake herself had half a mind to think Yang might have actually tried to strike Weiss if she hadn't dipped.
But no, Yang just stayed sitting with her eyes locked ahead on the empty space.
"Yang?"
"Hmm?" The girl never even turned, and so Blake made doubly sure to stay cautious as she spoke.
"How are you feeling?"
"How am I feeling?" Again there was no movement; even her voice seemed stale now, with each word holding what felt like no emotion whatsoever. "Like I'm working with grade-schoolers."
"She was just standing up for your sister."
"So you agree with them?" Yang actually turned to look at her, and Blake kind of wished her partner hadn't, because she still wore that lifeless mask.
"No... But you didn't exactly word your disagreement very well." She needed to be careful; Blake wanted to make it very clear that she wasn't trying to attack her fellow teammate. "Ruby was just trying to tell you she was doing what she believed was right, and you made her feel stupid. She must have been feeling awful hearing you say that."
"Good."
"Y-Yang?!" Now that was a curveball, and Blake started to feel some ire slip itself into place... and then she saw that jitter again. Her anger was dulled due to that twitch, the very twitch which let her know Yang wasn't being entirely truthful herself; but even still, that statement was cruel.
Her partner's response was to raise a single hand, staring attentively at the open palm.
"Ruby doesn't learn from listening. You can tell her something a hundred times over and she'll always answer 'okay'. She'll hear what you have to say, but she won't understand. Always holding onto her own beliefs until she's physically proven wrong. Back when she first got her hands on dust, our dad told her it wasn't something to just be played with, but it didn't matter; we lost our garage to the fires, and he was very, very upset at her; she was grounded for two weeks. Back on her tenth birthday I let her try my bike in the woods, telling her not to go farther than town because if something bad happened I wouldn't be able to get to her quickly, and she got in a crash halfway to the next."
Blake saw the gloved hand shake, and heard how Yang's breathing began to stutter as well: she began to lose her composure.
"She was always one to only ever understand from the consequences: she had to experience the danger before she chose to listen... but this..."
The palm snapped shut so quickly it left an echo, and Blake felt her hair nearly stand on end by the primal conviction now prominent in Yang's voice as she stared hatefully at the closed fist, with the flickering of her own tears nearly coming to life within her burning orbs.
"I won't allow it. My sister will never have to experience something like that; I'll die before I let that happen."
"Y-Yang? Where are you going?" Watching the blonde suddenly stand and start walking away worried her greatly, more so than Ruby's outburst before. Yes, their leader was sad, however she'd most likely keep to herself somewhere she could be alone. Yang though? Yang was the type of woman to act on her urges. A very intense wave of panic overcame Blake as she watched Yang stop for a second.
"I'm tired, so I'm heading to bed."
Such a statement would make sense, especially after what just happened here. They'd come to the library chasing after Ruby to ask a simple question, and it turned out like this. What happened to just accepting the answer even if you didn't agree? Biting her lower lip, Blake was left staring at her partner as she took a step out into the hall, wondering just how they were going to overcome this rotten mess.
Both sisters were technically correct, and both had understandable reasoning as to why they each had their views. However: Yang's uncontrollable rage, coupled with Ruby's innocent outlook only made things worse, and combine that with both sisters' stubbornness, and you have the conundrum before them. Blake was worried about how things would play out in the aftermath of it all, however that was almost instantaneously shoved aside when she saw Yang turn and walk down the hall, all due to one simple fact.
That wasn't the way to their room.
.
.
Before him stood an expanse, one that seemed bafflingly ridiculous.
To put it simply, Jay found himself standing on a single hill with a tree. That alone wasn't the issue however: the issue was how everything appeared. The short, evenly trimmed grass was a lush green, which was normal, and the leaves atop the tree were the same wonderful green as well. The sky was blue, and the clouds were gray; this again was normal.
The tree's bark was green, which was certainly not normal.
That wasn't to say the bark was rotting, no, it appeared perfectly healthy. The ground below the grass was gray, just like the clouds; while not completely weird, it was a little strange - still possible though. The man and woman standing beside the tree were both green; same as the tree and grass - again this wasn't normal.
The woman was unmistakably Ruby, and the man: himself.
Jay was curious, looking at a green variant of himself and Ruby, both stark naked and holding hands as they appeared to look down the hill at him. With nothing but questions, and nothing else he could think of doing, Jay started his trek up the hill towards the pair. The couple shifted, turning to face each other, and he watched as the other version of himself set his fingertips on her chest, right above her heart.
The hand went through, pulling out a beating green heart; snapping the life wires connecting it to the petite woman.
Ruby stuttered, and soon went limp, with her body fading to that same gray shared by the ground and clouds. The beating heart in his green self's hand continued to beat for a bit, and Jay himself was frozen at the bottom of the hill, watching as it dropped her to the ground. Soundlessly her body flopped against the grass, and the heart in his hands continued to beat.
Jay was holding the heart now, and its beating slowed to a crawl, stopping, and it faded to gray.
"rUbY ROse."
.
.
To say he woke up in a cold sweat would be incorrect, although for Jay, he kind of wished he did. The cold of being soaked in perspiration would have at least served as some sort of distraction from the insanity he'd just witnessed.
With shockingly easy breaths he leaned up, feeling something shift off him. It slipped from his forehead, landing bluntly on his lap and allowing him to pick it up. A cloth now lay damp in his hands, slightly warm, but not overly hot. It was small, and based on its position on his head he assumed it was originally cold; body heat did that away it seemed. Dropping it, he went back to his thoughts… or he tried to anyway, but was prevented by a noise.
"You're up." Junior's voice was unmistakable, and Jay watched as he shut the door behind himself, sighing as he walked over. "Not even a day and we've picked you up twice. I suppose it can't be helped; luck's not exactly your specialty, is it?"
"What happened?" Asking that hit Jay with a slew of memories; recent ones which frighteningly answered that question for him.
"Without getting into details: you did one of my girls a solid."
"The man-"
"Is dead from what I've heard; done in by the very unlucky guy who keeps stealing my guest room." The heavy sigh afterwards had Jay a little worried, and yet it vanished as Junior chose to carry on. "You're turning out to be more than I've bargained for, and I can't quite decide if that's a good thing or not."
"I-I'm sorry."
"Don't be." It was instantaneous, so much so that Jay ended up locking eyes with the man in response as he looked up. "From what she's told me, you saved her skin from a foe you really shouldn't have had a chance against. It not only takes guts to face an enemy like that, but also an extreme amount of luck to get out of there alive; you did both."
"I... don't know how."
That nightmare of a place from before... had it been the cause of his actual haunting dream? A freezer of the dead, all of whom were women... Certainly that must have been the reason for his poor sleep. Jay could still see some of their faces in his mind: the hollow eyes and pasty blue-tinted skin which split apart leaving broken ribs and bone. Jay had seen plenty of horror movies before, and played violent video games and such, but that did nothing to ease the twisting of his stomach.
"Easy there kid: you're out of it now."
As his vision focused again, Jay saw Junior sitting in the chair next to the bed. He was tilted horizontally sideways, and this twisted a knot in the boy's mind for a second before he realized how he himself was laying down again: curled up in a ball and partially under the blankets. Carefully, he straightened out, sitting up once more, and simply staring at his hands clutching the blankets around his lap.
I... I did it... I killed someone.
Most would tell him how much the fucker deserved it, and maybe he had, but that didn't change the fact Jay was now a murderer. Maybe his own morals labeled the cannibal a monster, but did that really give him the right to decide if someone should live or die? Jay felt like the guy deserved it, but that dream a moment ago… In that dream, he… didn't he kill in it? The look on his green copy's face had been so peaceful; was it a sign?
Does this mean... killing will get easier?
"Hey hey hey. Look at me."
Yet again he had his focus brought back into the real world, and he locked eyes with Miltia who held both cheeks in her hand. When had she come in?
"We're back, okay? We're alright." While her expression of concern remained steady, a sense of relief dribbled over it. "You're thinking about it, right? You're overthinking it. Stop it, okay? Here." She let go of his face, taking one of his hands and pulling at him a little. "Let's get you up and walking. We can talk a bit at the bar if you want to sit someplace; somewhere better than this lazy bed."
A bar... wait, that's right: Junior's club has a bar.
"C-can I get a drink." She'd pulled him to his feet by now, and his eyes trailed over to his coat. "I-I don't have lien, b-but I might have something to trade in my-"
"It's on the house." Both parties turned towards Junior, who remained seated with a stern, albeit calm face. "You completed the job, so that's earned you some spending money, and you also stood up for Miltia, so that's gotten you a bit more." The man lit what looked like a cigarette, slipping away the lighter back into his vest pocket and waving the pair away. "Go on and relax for the night."
Miltia turned to Jay right as he did the same.
"Hear that? You've got it lucky tonight, now come on." She pulled at him some more, and with a light nod Jay took his blazer in hand and slipped on his boots. "I'll show you the goods, and maybe offer a few recommendations myself."
Liquor sounds nice.
Clearly one of the two was more excited, and she pulled him out the door in a rush. It was as if the prospect of being in a murderer's meat-house meant nothing to Miltia; she appeared completely unfazed by the event. Jay was the complete opposite though: he wasn't even trying to hide how much the fiasco messed him up. Junior hummed to himself as he thought it over, with Melanie gathering his attention with a huff from across the room; leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"He never even noticed me."
"I don't think either of them did." Junior stood, motioning for her to follow, and the white-dressed twin obliged. They stepped out into the hallway, making for the club, and it was here Junior brought to light the new topic on his mind. "She seems a little more comfortable around him than I'd expect; even if he did potentially save her life."
"She would have been fine." The sister rolled her eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Junior. "If anything, she'd have escaped and called us for backup."
"True." Miltia was a tough one, and while a little dull at times, she was still clever enough to know when to split. According to her, she did try calling initially, only for the signal not to go through. The murderer had his whole secret butchery enclosed, to the point not even scroll signals could escape; probably a protective measure in case any of his 'prey' somehow remained alive and broke free of their binds.
"So, do we have any ideas on how the guy pulled it off?" With both stepping free from the hall, Melanie stared out across the club, or more specifically, towards her sister who was mixing one of her favorite rum combinations. Jay appeared shaky still, but he held his composure at least. "A guy like that should've bit the dust."
"Yes, he should have." Junior hummed a bit and took another puff of his smoke. "But that's just another mystery to add to the pile. I'm more concerned about how clingy your sister is with him."
That managed to get a response: not a good response, but a response nonetheless. Melanie tried her hardest to restrain her irritation, but Junior was certain anybody looking would see just how pissed off the woman was. At the very least, her voice remained flawless.
"I won't go into detail, mostly because it's personal business, but to put it simply: he reminds her of someone."
"Ah... a lover maybe?" Junior knew it wasn't his business, and mentally slapped himself over the question; the response came automatically, which was a habit born from pressing people for info over the years.
"No." Her hands clenched into fists, not really shaking, but gripping tightly together as she held back her own emotions. "But it was someone close, I'll give you that."
"I see."
See it himself indeed, but he didn't understand; no, and he most likely never would, because she sure as hell wasn't going to tell him. Melanie could barely restrain her own anger when dwelling on those memories of the past, feeling an intense wave of raw hatred wash over every inch of her skin. Looking out at her sister, she couldn't help but be forced to acknowledge it.
Of course you would... That idiot makes it all too easy.
Was it Jay's fault his pathetically timid nature reminded them of him? No, but Melanie was going to blame the guy anyway, if only to make the day to day easier. Truthfully there was only one person to blame, and that was the bitch who ruined it all to begin with. Miltia might have been unwilling to fight, but Melanie was sure as dust going to bring down the heavens soon enough. Linking up with Junior's crew had been only part of the plan, but the Vital festival this year would mean the meeting between multiple factions: both of the political world and the underground, and at that very meeting Melanie would ensure one thing.
Their mother would die by her hand; karmic justice wrought by all the repressed vengeance held up in her heart.
Author's note
...
Okay, so here we are again.
Just a note, but this will probably be the chapter length I'll be sticking with for this story: all my main focus is still on Beyond Destiny, because that - until it finishes - will remain the more important on my radar; It's been consistent for over a year or more straight, and I'm not going to let it drop off now.
Ironic, considering this tale is growing faster than 'BD' ever did - probably my fault with the 'no editing after post' rule; those first few chapters are rough.
Ah well, this story at least gets all the benefits of my current level of experience, even if it's a bit faster in pace.
RWBY had a moment, and Blake seems to be the only real level-headed girl so far, with Weiss even stepping up to lose it. Jay is going through a few things, and now we have nightmares to add onto it - really, what do you expect after the horror scenario of before? To top everything off as well, the twins are now more than they appear.
Does Yang have a point with her anger? Is there any significance to the nightmare Jay saw? Will Jay question everything so far, or will he drink it all away?
Stick around and find out; later.
